See Highlights From the Just-Opened Prospect 4 Triennial in New Orleans

Curator Trevor Schoonmaker has given the title “The Lotus in Spite of the Swamp” to his edition of Prospect New Orleans, the just-opened fourth installment of an ambitious art fest that has evolved into a triennial affair. Prospect 4 is a more geographically focused event than the previous edition, the well-received, Franklin Sirmans-curated Prospect 3, “Notes for Now.” But it still scatters across a total of 17 venues, sending viewers in pursuit of such Easter eggs as an art installation nestled among the offerings of a French Quarter antiques store, an artist-designed flag planted on a ferry, and a hidden audio installation that inserts the sounds of non-native birds into a park.

Several concentrations of art do center the show at the bigger venues. So, while I allow more critical thoughts about Schoonmaker’s event to congeal, here are photos from some of the main sites to give a sense of how “The Lotus in Spite of the Swamp” looks and feels.

Contemporary Art Center

Collages with Japanese paper by Maria Berrio. Image: Ben Davis.

Detail of a sculpture by Rina Banerjee, located at the Contemporary Art Center for Prospect 4 New Orleans, “The Lotus in Spite of the Swamp.” Image: Ben Davis.

Installation view of listening station by Dario Robleto, made in collaboration with Lance and April Ledbetter of Dust-to-Digital (2017), featuring eight hours of religious songs recorded from 1901 to 1960. Image: Ben Davis.

First part of a three-part text work by Runo Lagomarsino, If You Don’t Know What The South Is, It’s Simply Because You Are From The North. The phrase by the Swedish artist is meant to question the relative meaning of “North” and “South” in a global context. Image: Ben Davis.

Second part of a three-part text work by Runo Lagomarsino, If You Don’t Know What The South Is, It’s Simply Because You Are From The North. Image: Ben Davis.

Third part of a three-part text work by Runo Lagomarsino, If You Don’t Know What The South Is, It’s Simply Because You Are From The North. Image: Ben Davis.